This invention relates to a machining tool, and automated air-burst control device for use with a machining tool. The air-burst control device is particularly adapted for retrofit onto existing vertical milling machines, drill presses, tapping machines, CNC machining centers, manual turning lathes, CNC lathes, and the like.
When machining a number of work pieces in succession, such as in assembly line manufacturing, it is important that the resulting cut fragments and chips of the work piece be cleared away from the work piece and the vicinity of the machining tool after each machining operation. For most manually operated machining tools, a hand-held air blower with a trigger mechanism is used for this purpose. The blower is grasped by the worker after each operation, aimed towards the workpiece and machining tool, and then triggered to direct a burst of air into the vicinity of the machining tool cutter and the work piece. This requires interrupted operation of the machining tool for rather lengthy intervals, and relatively precise use of the blower in order to properly clean the work piece and work area.
Given the time pressures generally associated with assembly line manufacturing, a worker may neglect to use the air blower after each cutting, or may use the air blower in an improper or ineffective manner. In some cases, a worker may inadvertently spray the cut fragments and chips outwardly onto an adjacent worker or work area. This creates a potential safety hazard. In other cases, a worker may spray the cut fragments and chips of the work piece downwardly into the internal components of the machining tool, ultimately requiring expensive repairs and parts replacement. In addition, work piece fragments remaining on the machining tool vice and/or cutter after cutting may impact the tolerances of subsequently cut work pieces.
The present invention addresses these and other problems associated with hand-held air blowers by providing an automated air-burst control device which can be retrofitted onto existing machining tools for automatically blowing away cut fragments after each cutting. The invention increases production approximately 100% over manufacturing processes using hand-held blowers. Moreover, the invention consistently directs the blown fragments into a relatively confined area, thus minimizing clean-up, risk of injury to adjacent workers, and damage to equipment.